Afterlife by Claudia Gray I really enjoyed the first three books in the Evernight series. Claudia Gray pulled the rug out under readers in the first book in a terrific shift of the reader’s point of view when we learn something that Bianca, the girl who gets sent to a special school where things aren’t quite what they seem, has been keeping from us. The primary theme of the books always seemed to be the conflict between what Bianca wanted versus what she has been told she must be, which manifested itself both in the struggle between the vampires and the wraiths, and between her parents and Lucas. **SPOILER ALERT** The problem is, by the time Afterlife comes around, that conflict is gone–Bianca is now a wraith. There’s no real question about what her destiny will be, just details to be worked out about how a relationship with Lucas, Evernight, her… Read more »

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr The Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr sets up the intriguing premise of a girl who discovers a fey world hidden in the ordinary world around her. As the books progress, the mortal girl Aislynn falls in love with Seth, her mortal boyfriend; she pledges to rule the faeries as Summer Queen with Keenan, the tragic Summer King; and then she has a hard time choosing between her destiny and her heart. Along the way there are long and tedious side trips with other characters who play roles with varying degrees of importance in the overall structure of the fey world. The books are very popular, which might be due in part to gorgeous covers and a love triangle which includes an attentive, pierced and tattooed boyfriend. Is it really a triangle, though, when one party really is just trying to do his duty? Darkest… Read more »

Welcome to The Midnight Garden. In Tom’s Midnight Garden, Philippa Pearce explores what could happen when the past and present intersect. In the wee hours of the night, a boy’s world is transformed when he discovers that his garden is full of mystery and enchantment… …and here, we’ll explore the midnight gardens waiting for us in the ever-magical world of young adult books. You don’t have to feel guilty about your guilty pleasures anymore. You’re not alone…we love them, too.